Persuasion
by Jane Austen
Read by Nadia May

My rating: 3 / 5
Genre: Classic romance

This was my least favorite of the Jane Austen books I’ve read so far. I waited a while to to write this review, because I struggled with how to approach it. The main character, Anne, was basically a bystander in her own life/story. I certainly appreciated that she was the most grounded character in the book, but therein lies more of my issue. It seems to me that almost every character besides Anne and the man she’s spent 8 years wishing she hadn’t thrown over is stupid, greedy, self-absorbed, or some combination of those things. These things that bugged me may have been intentional, but it made the story less enjoyable for me. Most of the enjoyment in the book came with near the end, with the culmination of the romance. I wish we’d been able to see more of Captain Wentworth, been able to get to know him more, been able to see more of his personality. Overall, though, the book wasn’t terrible (it helps that it was fairly short), and the narration made my listening experience all the better. I prefer the other Austen books I’ve read so far, but many others seem to like this book; if you’re considering listening to the audiobook, I particularly recommend the narration by Nadia May.

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